One dusky evening in 1995, the author saw a picturesque vision in prayer. It was an astounding heavenly and very moving scenario. There was an extremely long single file of train of people. He followed along this chain queue, wondering where does this procession eventually leads to. At that moment, it was a queer and odd experience to behold.

Eventually, the frontal visibility of the whole matter comes to light: the dazzling great white throne, the quintessence (heart, essence, sum) of heaven’s glory. One after another, people began to pile up a lot of things before the throne only to realize later it was a representation of a man’s lifetime works and accomplishments. A familiar passage from Revelation 20:11-13 came to his consciousness. The terrible day of reckoning will be a bombshell (shocker) of rude awakening to every man who lived on this earth.

A bolt from the blue when a sudden unforeseen blazing fire came from the throne (Psalm 97:3). The next moment was an eye-opener (sudden realization) observation: the ferocious fire consumed utterly the man’s work resulting in a heap of black ashes before his feet. That man was startled to find his work was in vain and a great remorse struck a deep note in his soul. He began to shriek and weep profusely. It was most disturbing to witness.

It was a shocker to find out the similar pattern of the same fate of countless men: achievements reduced to ashes. Then I saw another familiar man judging from his back and his fate was the same: heap of ashes up to his knees. The Lord remarked, “What do you have to say about this man?” He retorted, “What a pity, he lived his life in vain!” The next divine reply was a thunderbolt strike a deep quaking note in the soul: “Son, you’re the man! If you do not lived circumspectively, your destiny will be a heap of ashes!” I was dumbfounded (speechless). It was a resounding traumatizing jolts. I fell at His feet mourning and weeping profusely over the follies of my life. This alarming revelation becomes an appalling (shocking horror) memento in the memory back of my mind: a heap of ashes.

Take heed to the apostolic admonition of Apostle Paul, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). These verses served as a solemn warning to us today, not to live careless, fleshly or soulish lives before the Lord. Our works shall ultimately be tested by fire and if it is consumed by the fire, we shall suffer immense losses. This is a serious warning or you will suffer tormenting agony and terrible grief on that eventful day. The Lord then would have to wipe away many of your tears.

Remember the sound words of Spurgeon, “the nearer a man lives to God, the more intensely has he to mourn over his own evil heart; and the more his Master honours him in His service, the more also cloth the evil of the flesh vex and tease him day by day…May our hearts make Jesus their anchor, their rudder, their light-house, their life-boat, and their harbour.”